# Students: what changes for your taxes

> What changes for your taxes when you study in Canada: the tuition credit, your T2202 slip, scholarships, student loan interest and a summer job

Most students pay little or no income tax, but they have more to claim than anyone else, and most of it only pays off if you file.

## What can you claim for tuition?

Your school sends a T2202 slip by the end of February. It lets you claim the federal tuition credit, worth 15% of the eligible amount. A student with a small income often can't use all of it, so you have two choices: carry the rest forward, or transfer up to $5,000 of it to a parent, grandparent or spouse. The [CRA's page on transferring and carrying forward tuition](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-32300-your-tuition-education-textbook-amounts/transferring-carrying-forward-amounts.html) covers who qualifies. Either way you'll want to keep the slips. The [tax credits calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/income-tax/tax-credits) shows how the credits add up.

Here's how it plays out. Sam in Halifax pays $6,000 in eligible tuition and earns $8,000 over the summer, well under the federal basic personal amount, so Sam owes no federal tax. The credit is worth $900 on paper (15% of $6,000), but there's nothing to use it against. Sam can transfer $5,000 to a parent, who then gets 15% of that, $750, and carry the last $1,000 forward. One thing to know: once you choose to carry an amount forward, you can't transfer it later.

## What about a summer or part-time job?

Federally you can earn up to the basic personal amount, $16,452 for 2026, before income tax applies, and your province has its own amount. But your employer takes tax, CPP and EI off each paycheque anyway. Filing a return gets the extra tax back. Try the [take-home pay calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/payroll-salary/take-home-pay-calculator) with your own wage.

## Are scholarships and loans taxed?

Scholarships and bursaries are usually tax-free for a full-time student who qualifies for the education amount. You can also claim a credit for the interest you pay on a government student loan, and unused interest carries forward for five years. Only government loans count, so interest on a bank line of credit won't qualify. If you move 40 km or more closer to school, you may deduct the moving costs against taxable awards.

## Should you open an RRSP now?

Probably not yet. A deduction is worth the most when your income is high, and yours is likely low, so a TFSA often suits better. You can keep your RRSP deduction for later years. Check the options with the [TFSA calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/rrsp-retirement/tfsa-calculator).

## Do you need to file if you owe nothing?

File every year. Even with no tax to pay, a return builds up the unused tuition you can carry forward, and it's what gets benefits such as the GST/HST credit started once you're eligible.

## Where do you start?

Read the [filing guide](https://tax-services.ca/guides/file-your-taxes) for the steps, the [guide to benefits and credits](https://tax-services.ca/guides/benefits-and-credits) for what else you may claim, and keep an eye on the [tax calendar](https://tax-services.ca/tax-calendar).

## Before you act on this page

You're reading a general overview, and it can't see your slips, your status or your province, so you shouldn't treat it as advice for your own return. If anything here doesn't match a letter from the CRA, the letter wins.

Stuck?

Ask a qualified preparer or the CRA itself, and keep the [document checklist](https://tax-services.ca/checklists/documents-for-your-tax-return), the [tax calendar](https://tax-services.ca/tax-calendar) and the [filing guide](https://tax-services.ca/guides/file-your-taxes) close by. Not sure which province's rules apply to you? The [province index](https://tax-services.ca/provinces) lists them all.

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Source: https://tax-services.ca/life-events/student
Last updated: 2026-10-05
Independent information site. Not affiliated with the CRA. No services, no guarantee of accuracy. See https://tax-services.ca/disclaimer